Conveyer



Aug' 7, 1951 E. o. MELMER 2,563,181

coNvEYER Filed April 12, 194e s sheets-sheet 1 n W 7 N nmrlls m EN W@ M K Si f Il] wh w n i2 *TM w1 l f #i QN um w' l 1 W \\\\l INVENToR.

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Aug. 7, 1951 E. o. Ml-:LMER 2,563,181

coNvEYER Filed April l2, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR. gli c eZ/776V? uur Patented Aug. 7, 1951 CQNVEYER Eric'O. Mlmer, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Anchor Steel YltConvcyor fCompany, Detroit, Mich., a

'corporation'of Michigan Y .Application April. 12, 1948, :Serial No. l20,482

`8 Claims. .1

This invention relatesbmadIy to newand use ful. improvements in conveyor .apparatus In the manufacture `of lcertain types .of axle housings, preformed, generally tubular sections are .heat-treated in .a slot furnace. These lsections or .workpieces .are .moved at amore ori'less uniform rate through the f urnace, .and they should 'be rotated continuously whenfin .the.ffur nace `so ,that allV portionsr .thereof within the furnace areuniformly affected by the heat.

The present invention is concernedprimarily `with lmeans fior Vmoving a continuous `.procession of 'aile-'housing sections or similar workpieces through a .s'lot..furnace, and the apparatus '.'includesmea-ns 'for automaticallyrotatingLthe workpieces continuously and ata uniformrate .during their travelthrough the 'furnace V.I-leretofore, Vsome diiiiculty has been .encountered, in disen'gaging theheated workpieces 'from the supporting Vmandrels. as they .emerge ifrom ,the lfurnace. The present apparatus also inclu'des a novel means for -,performing .the above voperation mechanicallyiand automatically.' From the ,foregoing it will bereadily apparent that an important object of the' present ,invention is to provide a conveyor .whichwill move a plurality of .axle-housing sections or `thejlike progressively throughv a slot 'furnace and then automatically disengage `the sections fromfthe supporting rnandrels as they emerge "from the furnace. Y

Another object V'ofthe invention is '.to Iprovide a conveyor of "the ab'ovementione'd character which automatically rotates theworkpieces continuouslyand 'at a vuniform rate Yduring .their travel through the furnace .to 'assure )a 'uniform applicationof heat"thereto.

j Still vano-ther 'objectof the invention is to; provide `a conveyor apparatus that automatically vdis-- engages the heated workpieces'from the supporting'man'drels immediately after nthe flatter leave the furnace, whereby Ato eliminate 'manual' handlingfif the same. i

Yet another `object ofl the invention istojprof vide fa conveyor apparatus of the above-*mentioned characterfthat is :relatively simple in .construction'but at the same time is highly'eflicient in operation.

-'Other objects@andfadvantagespf the invention wlll"be=apparent during the v'course ofL the 'follow-- ing description.Y

'In Athe drawings forming a part of Ithis`-speci= lcation and wherein like" numeralsfarelemployed to designatelike parts throughout fthe samei Fig. 1 'is a :'.side elevationalfview o`ffa 'conveyor epparatus'nmbodying theinveritionj ,Fig..2 is an enlarged, .fragmentary, transverse, vertical .sectional View taken Von the line 2-2Aof Fig. 1;

Fig. 371s a verticaLlongitudinal sectional view takenon the line.3-.3 of.Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 4 vis a fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal sectional View .taken on the lined-. `of Fig. .-2.;

Fig. l5 .is -a vertical, transverse sectional -view taken onthe line 5-5 oiFig. 1

..1ig. ,I6 is a fragmentarywplan rview :looking Ain thedirection ofthe arrows 6 6 in Figi;

`3Fig. .7 iis a fragmentary, verticallongitudinal sectional .view taken on .theffline .1 -l rvof-y Fig. ,6; and

Fig. .8 is a .fragmentary plan view looking .in .theldirection .of the arrows 8-8 inEig. 7.

11n .the drawing, `wherein `for the purpose .of

illustrationis shown a preferredembodiment of the invention, 'the .numerals lll a'ndjl 2 designate a ipair o'f vertically disposed, endless coni/@yor chains. The conveyorfchains i0 and i2 arearranged side. by side in laterally spaced relation, asvperhapsib'est shown inFigfZ. :any suitable or conventional,c onstructionmay befemployedfor 'the .conveyor "chains i0 and. l2. 'For the V purpose of illustration, lhowever, .the chainsjare 'here shown las comprising relatively short, spaced pairs of links 'M connected end yto end by pivots T6. Rollersl are carried by .the pivots I6 'between the various ..pairs .o'f links.

Each 4ci the conveyor .chains "Ill and 1|2 is 'trained 4over agroup of sprockets `2,x,and .the latter are carried .byasuitable supporting ifrainework designated .generally by thelnui'neral .252. fkIngthe ,form of the invention. here `shown'by way -of illustration, corresponding sprockets 2li in .eachjgroup are rotatablyV driven and 'thelother .sprockets in "the groups are merely idler sprockets. Itwill be readily understoo'dfhowever, that, if gdesired, ltwo or more driving. sprockets` mayi be employed and `the,drivingj fo'rces cf 'these sprockietsy co-ordinated b y vconventional means; 'The 'driving sprockets are fhere shown at 'the .rear- 'wardjend YAof ieachnonVe-yor chain. These 'two sprockets 20 are identically located and. of the4 same size. Thus, since the driving sprocket 20a and the two conveyor sprockets are mounted for mutual rotation on a single shaft, the two chains IU and I2 are operated simultaneously at the same speed. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the supporting framework 22 includes members 22a of angle iron or the like, which members extend under and support the rear portions of the upper and lower runs of the conveyor chains vI and I2.

The conveyor is mounted in front of a slot furnace designated generally by the numeral 40 lwith the upper runs of the chains IU and I2 arranged parallel to the front of the furnace and slightly below the Slot 42 (Fig. 5). The furnace 40 is conventional and need not be described in detail. Workpieces 44 carried by the conveyor extend into the slot 42, as shown in Fig. 5; and, as the conveyor moves the work longitudinally along the slot, they are heated to the desired temperature by suitable heating means withinv both the furnace and the conveyor are shortened by the omission of intermediate portions thereof. In actual practice, both the furnace 40 and the conveyor are quite long, and the exact length may vary considerably according to the exigencies of the particular situation. Also a portion of the supporting framework which car- 'ries the conveyor chains preferably is adjustable relative to the furnace 40 to permit proper positioning of the Workpieces 44 in the slot 42 and so `that the'apparatus can be adapted to various types and sizes of Workpieces.

' Themeans for mounting the Workpieces 44 on the conveyor chains I0 and I2 is now described in detail. In this connection, it will be observed `that the inner links I4 of each chain I0 and I2 carry standards 46 and that corresponding standards on the two chains are disposed directly opposite each other. 'I'he standards 46 here shown comprise vertically elongated metal plates or strips which are welded or otherwise fastened to the links I4. As best shown in Fig. 2, the standards 46 extend substantially above the chains I0 and I2, and each pair of opposed standards carries a transverse tubular housing 48. Preferably, the tubular housings 48 extend through openings in the supporting standards 46 and are welded to the standards as at 50 (Fig. 2) to assure an essentially strong, rigid structure. Preferably, gussets 52 also are welded to the standards 46 and housing 48, as shown in Fig. 2, to increase the rigidity of the structure and to prevent the conveyor from being pulled laterally when the Workpieces 44 are pulled from the supporting mandrels. From the above it will be readily apparent that each pair of inner links I4 carries a tubular housing 48 and that the housings extend continuously around the conveyor chains I 0 and I2.

spindles 54 are mounted in the housings 48, and the spindles are supported for rotation by roller bearings 56 located adjacent the ends of the housings. Suitable alemite fittings 58 carried by the housings48` permit lubrication of bearings 56. Sleeves 6I)` are inserted in the housings 48 behind the rearmost bearings 56, and the sleeves are retained in the housings by washers 62 on the projecting ends of spindles 54.

'Ihe washers 62 in turn are held in place and axial movement of spindles to the left, as viewed in Fig. l, is'limited by collars 64 which are fastened on the projecting terminal portions of the spindles by bolts 66 and nuts 68. Dirt and other foreign matter are prevented from gaining access to the forward bearings 56 by washers 10 which t over the spindles 56 and against the forward ends of the housing 48.

Also, it will be observed that mandrels 12 are fastened on the forwardly projecting ends oi the spindles 54 by bolts 13 and nuts 15, which mandrels are adapted to carry the Workpieces 44. As suggested, the present invention is primarily adapted and pre-eminently suited for heattreating axle housing sections, and to this end the mandrels 12 are formed with relatively elongated, longitudinally tapered, generally cylindr1cal terminal nose portions 'I4 which are adapted to extend into and to snugly t the housing sections. Also, it will be observed that the mandrels 12 extend laterally of the supporting framework 22 and substantially to the front face of the furnace 40 so that the Workpieces 44 extend into the furnace through the slot 42 (Fig. 5).

In practice the conveyor travels continuously so that the Workpieces 44 are carried in endless procession through the furnace. The Workpieces 44 are pushed onto the mandrels 12 as the latter approach the furnace 40 either manually or by suitable mechanical means, and they are removed from the mandrel as they emerge from the furnace.

In order to assure a uniform heat treatment, it is desirable that the Workpieces 44 be rotated continuously as they pass through the furnace 4I). To this end I mount a track 18 on the supporting framework 22 between the endless chain I0 and the furnace 40 where it will be engaged by the mandrels 12 (Fig. 2). The track 16 extends at least the full length of the furnace 40. As the Workpieces 44 enter the furnace 40, the mandrels 12 which carry them move onto the track 18; and as the Workpieces 44 move through the furnace, frictional engagement between the mandrels 12 and the track 'I8 effects rotation of the mandrels and consequently of the Workpieces carried thereby. This friction drive is an important feature of the invention since it provides a mechanically simple 'yet highly efiicient rotary drive for the Workpieces 44. Preferably, the portions of the mandrels 12 which engagethe track 18 .are formed with annular grooves 86- Thus after the mandrels 12 ride up on to the track 18, the side walls of the grooves limit lateral movement of the mandrels and assure uniform positioning of the Workpieces 44 in the furnace 40. After the workpieces emerge from the furnace the mandrels 12 roll off the end of the track 16, Iand rotation of the mandrels ceases at this point.

I also provide a second track 82 behind conveyorV chain I2, which track is engaged by rollers 84 on the rearward ends of the housings 48. The

v agresser rollers 80 are supported -for rotation on the housings 48 by'fsleeve bearings -and are coninedfbe-4 tween thewashers -62 i-andcollars 88 which are weldedfor otherwise fastened to the housingsiim- Vmediately in front of Ythe rol1ers. In2tl1is connection it will 'be observed that the rollers 84 rotate freely or idly onthe housings d8. They form no part of the rotary drive for the mandrels l2, but Vmerely rsupportthe rearward ends of the housing 4S'- and thus position the mandrels for proper insertion of the workpieces 04 into the furnace 40.

"Also,-I provide a rail 90 immediately above the rear rollers 84. rIhis rail 90 is spaced slightly above the 'rollers `84 when the latter engage the rai-l 82, but'are engaged by the rollers r8 0 to limit rockingmovement of the housings 08 ifthere is any tendency for the -workpieces lill to tip the housings on the rail 19.

ATherneans for removing the heated Vworkpieces Il@ from the mandrels l2 also is a feature of this invention. In this connection, it will be observed that the nose portions 7:3 of mandrels 'l2 are formedwith longitudinal slots 92 and that double.. headed pins 9d are mounted to move freely back and forth in the slots. As perhaps best shownin Fig., 3, the enlarged ends of the pins 9e prevent the latter from dropping out of the slots 92 vand at the same time permit. the pins to move freely longitudinally in the slots. j

When the workpiecesd are pushedonto the mandrels l2, they engage the projecting ends of pins 94 Yand Ypush the latter rearwardly inthe slots 92. rl-hus the pins 9d normally occupyfre',A tracted positions in the slots `92 and during the heat-treating operation, they are held yin retracted positions Vby the workpieces Mp g As the Workpieces 43d emerge from the furnace d0, the mandrels '|2Yro1l olf the ends 0f the tracks 18 and'82 and the rollers I8 of conveyor chains I0 i and I2 drop downwardly a short distance onto the angles 22a, which then support the conveyor and itsV appurtenances until the mandrels are pushed upland supported by transfer strips |02. The transfer strips direct the'rnandrels between a pair of vertically-spaced cam stripsl. ,-As the mandrels pass between the cam strips 90 the projecting ends of the pins 9d engage the leading cam edges of the strips. These edges are curved outwardly raway from theadjacent conveyorV chain |0 andv advance the V.pins in the slots 92 asgthe mandrels are pulled between the camV strips 90 by the conveyor.

As suggested, two identical cam plates 96 are provided, and fthe bain vplate'sft are fastened to the supportingA framework 22, asbest shown in Figs. 6, |7, and`8. Both ends of therejeotorpins 9d engage the cam plates 9@ simultaneously and pressure is applied 'uniformly aglainstboth ends of the pins to advance the same in slotsfQZ. `As the -pins advance they push against the adjacent ends of the workpieces lli and eject the 'latter from the 'inandrels i12, In practice, the cam plates 96 push the ejectorpins 94 outwardly'substantially to the ends of slots 92 and then disengage the pins. Thus the ejector pins 9d pass over the ends of cam plates 96 after they have been substantially fully advanced in slots 92. Manifestly, after the mandrels pass beyond the cam plates 96, they merely continue on around the conveyor and thereafter they serve no useful purpose until they again approach the furnace 40, at which time workpieces are again inserted thereon and the cycle of operation is repeated. 4,Any suitable means such as an endless conveyor fnot'zshown); may befprovided to c'atchthe fwork .pieces M `:aszthey fallefro'm the fmandrels 12 and Vtoccarry thefsamenaway for yfurther processing orfother'disposition.'

lfFromythe foregoing it will ybe lreadily'apparent that theuejectorpins194 lmust be disposed vertically fat `the time they passdoet'ween the cam plates '96 in" orderltofeffectngagement between theprojeoting endsV ofY the. pinsland the leading Yedges iof thefcam plates.;` :In iorder t'o Aassure proper Aangu- -larr-orryotativeV position ofthe mandrelsfIZ, Ijprovide the nose portions 114 with *flat surfaces 98, which surfacesf-areidisposed on opposite sides of .the mandrels 'and extend :transversely to the slots 92. The surfacesfof VAthe mandrels 12 V-intermedlatethefflatfsurfaces 98 varerounded asat |00. Also,'-it nWill Ibe `observed that the cam plates'98 `are vspaced 'longitudinally from the track v'1.8 r (Fig. 8), and that a transfer strip |02 is mounted forwardlyfof tand lin alignmentwith the lower cam plate :96. The forwardportion |0401" the transferstrip |02 is lowenthan lthe rearward or `distal portion `|06 thereon-.and the two portions |05 and V|00 are :joined by an integral gradually inclinedpcrtion |08.l `flhe'transfer strip |02 eX- tendsflongitudinally beyond and is disposed laterallyi-ofgthe track T8. Preferably the forward terminal portion |04 of .the` transfer strip |02 overlaps-the rearward `terminal portion '.of the track.v

Inpractice the mandrels 12,may be inwany angular position until they y-are'pickedup by the inclined portion-|08 of the transfer strip |02. As theyslidealong the inclined surface |08,fthe `mandrels t2 are rotated until vone or the other'of the flat surfaces-Stengages the-.strip |02. Thus,'all of themandrels are identically .positioned as they move onto the-'rearwardportion |0-of the strip 102. Alsmthe weight of the mandrels-is transferred frorn vthe angle, supports '22a to the strip |02 substantially at the time the rnandrels are .pickedeup byithep'ortion |08so 'there is :no tendency'lfor :the .emandrfelsito rotate. on the transfer strip at the time the mandrels reachthefterminal portions |08 ,ofy the strip.. The flat` surfaces 98 merely Vslide along vthe transfer strip |02 and onto the flower' i-cam Yplate 96. Manifestly, the ejector pins v9| Vwill be :positioned vertically for proper engagement by the cam plate 96 regardless `of whichfsurface-98 is in engagement with the trans-v fer strip.

. lF-romathe foregoing it willbe readily apparent .that I have achieved thefobjects of by invention. I have provided a conveyor for moving vworkpecesin endless succession-through a 'slot furnace 'at a uniform'rate of travel. Also, I have provided means for automatically continuously rotating .theworkpieces during their entire travel through the furnace to assurera uniformapplica'- tion of -heat thereto. After the workpieces emerge from the furnace, they are removed automatically from the :conveyor for further treatment. The'apparatus isa'daptedto 'a furnace of substantially any fsize Sand will perform its vintended function efficiently under a' varietyof conditions.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus of the described, a mandrel having a terminal portion adapted to enter and snugly fit a hollow workpiece and provided with a longitudinal slot; an ejector member mounted for movement ba'ck and forth between retracted and advanced position in said slot and having radially projecting portions adapted to engage one end of said workpiece; means for moving said m'andrel bodily along a predetermined path of travel; 'a friction drive for rotating said mandrel during at least a portion of its travel; cam means located to be engaged by the projecting portions of said ejector when the latter is in a retracted position in said slot and the mandrel is moved to a predetermined point in its travel, said cam means being operative to advance said ejector in said slot as the mandrel is moved beyond said predetermined point and'to release said ejector when the latteris substantially fully advanced in said slot.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for moving said mandrel comprises an endless conveyor having an upper run portion and wherein said cam means is located adjacent one end of said upper run portion.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a tube support having a terminal portion adapted to enter and snugly t a hollow workpiece and provided with a longitudinal slot; an ejector member mounted for movement back and forth in said slot and having radially projecting portions adapted to engage one end of said workpiece; means for moving said support bodily along a predetermined path of travel; means for rotating said tube support for at least a portion of its travel; cam means arranged to be engaged by the projecting portions of the ejector when the latter is in a retracted position in the slot and adapted to advance said ejector in the slot as the support moves beyond the point in its travel at which it 4engages the cam means so that said projecting portions eject the workpiece from the mandrel; and means for positioning said support for yproper engagement of the ejector member -with said `cam means.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a mandrel having a terminal portion adapted to enter and snugly fit a hollow workpiece and provided with a longitudinal slot; an ejector member movable in said slot and provided with radially projecting terminal portions adapted to engage one end of said workpiece; an endless conveyor carrying said mandrel, said conveyor having an upper horizontal run portion; cam means located adjacent the end of said horizontal run portion arranged to be engaged by the projecting portions of said ejector when the latter is in a retracted position in said slot and adapted to advance said ejector in the slot upon continued movement of the mandrel by said conveyor so as to eject said workpiece from the mandrel; and means located immediately in front of said cam means for positioning and maintaining the man,- drel in a predetermined rotated position permitting proper engagement of the ejector and said cam means.

5 ..In apparatus of the character described. a rotatable mandrel having a terminal portion adapted to enter and snugly t a hollow workpiece and provided with a longitudinal slot; an ejector member mounted for movement back and forth in said slot and provided with radially projecting portions adapted to engage one end of said workpiece; an endless conveyor carrying said mandrel and having an upper horizontal run portion; means for rotatably driving said mandrel during a portion of its travel along said horizontal run portion; cam means behind said rotary drive means arranged to be engaged by the projecting portions of said ejector when the latter is in a retracted position in the slot and adapted to advance said ejector in the slot as the mandrel is carried by said conveyor beyond said point of engagement so as to eject said workpiece from the mandrel; and means disposed between said rotary drive means and said cam means for positioning said mandrel for proper engagement of the cam means by said ejector.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said cam means comprises upper and lower strips arranged to accommodate the terminal portion of said mandrel therebetween and located for edgewise engagement with the projecting portions of said ejector, the engaged edges of the strips curving laterally away from the conveyor so as to advance the ejector in longitudinal slot of the mandrel as the latter is moved longitudinally across the strips by the conveyor. and the distal ends of said strips terminating so as to release the ejector before the same is fully advanced in said slot.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said rotary drive means comprises an annular surface on said mandrel; and a track below said mandrel arranged for engagement with said annular surface.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said positioning means comprises flat surfaces on said mandrel, which surfaces extend transversely to and across the open ends of the slots; and a transfer strip between the track and said cam means. said strip adapted to support the mandrel during at least a portion of its travel between the track and the cam means and located to engage the at surfaces of the mandrel whereby to prevent rotation of the latter and to deliver the same in a predetermined rotative position to the cam means.

ERIC O. MELMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 580,504 Pitt Apr. 13, 1897 842,426 Schnelbach Jan. 29, 1907 928,172 Bernardin July 13, 1909 1,366,188 Kirino Jan. 18, 1921 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,563,181 August 7, 1951 ERIC O. MELMER It is hereby lcertified that eiror appeal-e in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 53, for of by read of my; line 75, after the insert chamoter;

and that the Said Letters Patent should be read as Corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of October, A. D. 1951.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

